Policeman Visits Woman as Warning for Unpaid Bills, Is Stunned to See Mom He Thought Was Dead – Story of the Day

A woman abandoned her family when her son was little, but karma taught her a horrible lesson in return. Then, her son showed up at her doorstep and revealed something she had never imagined.

“You can’t leave, Mara! We have a son! What about Ilan?” Mara’s husband, Ernest, yelled as she walked through the living room with her suitcase. Their son was three years old, but she couldn’t be there anymore. She was in love with someone else, Hans, and wanted to leave.

“I’m leaving. I don’t love you anymore, and I… Ilan will be fine. You’re a good father,” Mara said, holding her tears as best she could. She wanted to leave, but thinking about her son made things harder. However, Ernest had been the one who pushed her to have him, and she had been depressed ever since… until she met Hans.

“Please, Mara,” Ernest begged, almost getting to his knees.

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“No! I’m leaving! Goodbye!” she said finally, slashing her hand through the air, and she walked out of her home.

“Mrs. Forrester, what’s going on? Are you alright? Should I call 911?”

Two years later… she and her new, rich husband Hans got into a terrible accident while driving down a rainy road after a beautiful cabin getaway. She needed emergency surgery, and the doctors told them she might be paralyzed for the rest of her life. They were right.

When Mara woke up from her surgery, she found a note from Hans on the nightstand next to her hospital bed. ‘I’m sorry… I can’t do this… Good luck,’ it read, and it broke her heart.

But she knew this was her karma. She deserved this. The moment she had walked out on Ilan, she knew the universe would punish her sooner or later. Still, she was too selfish, infatuated, and foolish to care.

But lying in that hospital bed all alone with the sound of the beeping machines and the smell of strong disinfectant in the air made her snapped her into reality. She never should’ve abandoned her real family for a fling.

The only good thing to come out of her second marriage was the house Hans left entirely in her name. At least, he feels a little guilty for leaving his paralyzed wife, Mara thought sardonically, but she had to be thankful. She wasn’t homeless, after all.

***

“No, Mara. You abandoned us,” Ernest said over the phone, and she could almost hear his head shaking. “It’s been two years.”

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“I know. But I regret everything so much,” Mara said from her perpetual spot on her wheelchair near the living room couch. “I want to see my son.”

“Ilan thinks you died years ago. He’s five now, so he understands what that means. You disappeared from our lives, and I will fight you if you try to take me to court. I have all the proof that you cheated and haven’t seen him or even called in two years,” Ernest threatened, getting angrier and angrier.

“Please,” she pleaded once more. She was not planning to fight anything in court, although her divorce from her ex-husband had left her with plenty of money.

“NO!” he said and slammed the phone.

Mara sighed, putting down her phone and looking at the emptiness of her house. “This is my karma… all of it. I deserve it,” Mara told herself and cried silently for a few hours. But the universe was a little more forgiving than she imagined. She would only have to be patient.

***

Twenty-two years later…

“Ma’am, are you Mrs. Forrester?” the policeman at Mara’s door asked.

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The older woman nodded, confused. She only left the house for a few doctor’s appointments every once in a while. She liked going out because she had bought a unique SUV designed so paralyzed people could still drive and be independent. However, it took a while to get on it, and some parking lots were trickier to manage, so she avoided most outings. Also, she didn’t have friends, so going out much didn’t make sense.

“Yes, I am, officer. What’s going on?” Mara asked, rolling a bit closer to the door.

“Ma’am, I’m here because you have some outstanding parking tickets. You haven’t paid some in years, and well, they sent me to check why,” the officer explained, looking at his notepad and frowning. “But do you drive?”

“Yes, I can drive. But that’s odd. I don’t remember getting any tickets ever. I’ve been disabled for 27 years. I use my special SUV and park in the handicapped spots,” Mara explained, pointing to her car in the driveway.

“Hmmm,” the cop muttered. “Mind if I take a look?”

“Go ahead,” she answered.

The policeman looked around the vehicle. “Where’s your handicap sticker?”

“Sticker?”

“The sign indicated that you’re disabled and allowed to use handicap parking,” the policeman continued.

“Oh, it’s not there?” Mara said, pursing her lips and trying to remember.

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“That might have been the problem, ma’am. If an officer doesn’t see the sign or sticker, they have to fine you for it,” he explained. “You’re going to need to pay. There are several numbers you can call or do it online. You’ll need a new handicap sign so this doesn’t happen more.”

“Oh my gosh. I had no idea I had outstanding fines. I’ll pay right away and get a new sticker. I’m so sorry, officer,” Mara apologized.

“That’s ok, ma’am. The department has been cracking down on these cases, so I had to come. Have a nice day!”

“Wait, what’s your name?”

“Officer Marksman,” the man answered, smiling. “Or Ilan, if you like.”

“Your… name… is… Ilan… Marksman?” Mara stuttered in total surprise.

“Yes,” Ilan said, confused by the older woman’s expression. He was even more shocked when she started sobbing. “Mrs. Forrester, what’s going on? Are you alright? Should I call 911?”

Suddenly, the woman in the wheelchair reached into her pocket and produced a photograph. “Ilan,” she said quietly, and the policeman got closer only to see a picture featuring her father as a young man with a woman lying on a hospital bed with a baby in her arms.

“How? What?” he started but stopped speaking because his heart seemed to stop working.

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“Ilan, this is your father, right? Ernest? I’m your… mother,” Mara said, the sobs subsiding so she could get the words out.

“That’s impossible. Dad told me Mom died years ago,” Ilan finally choked out and put his hands on his forehead in astonishment. “What happened?”

“It’s a long story,” Mara said, looking down. “Would you like to come in?”

Ilan looked around and thought about what to do. Should he talk to his father first? Should he run away? But in the end, he went inside. He was no coward.

***

By the time Mara finished his story, Ilan was stumped.

“It was all my fault,” the older woman said. “I deserved it.”

“But Dad should’ve given me a chance to choose what I wanted,” Ilan muttered, angry and heartbroken at his father for keeping his mom away.

“Your dad did what he thought was best. I hurt him too badly, and I abandoned you. I can understand why he lied to you, even if I begged him to see you so much over the years.”

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“Still, you were punished enough, and now, you’re here alone in a wheelchair. It’s too much,” he continued.

“To be fair, I never told your father that part. He doesn’t know I’m disabled,” Mara suddenly added, tilting her head. “How is he, by the way?”

“He is… Jesus, he’s in a bad situation now,” Ilan blurted.

Mara’s eyebrows went up. “Why?”

Ilan explained that Ernest needed an urgent operation, which would put them into colossal debt. He didn’t have a lot of savings, and Ilan was working overtime to try to help. But his father was also a proud man and refused any financial assistance.

“I have money. Please, let me help,” Mara said out of the blue.

“What? No,” Ilan shook his head and scoffed.

“Please. I have to do something. I never paid child support. I never helped raise you. I need to help somehow, and the only good thing about my leaving you guys is that the man who abandoned me was rich. I got a lot of money as a result. Please! Please!”

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Mara had to plead for a few more minutes before Ilan finally said yes.

***

Ernest got his operation, and when he was discharged, his son told him about meeting Mara coincidentally and how she gave them the money.

“You shouldn’t have accepted that money!” Ernest growled.

“You shouldn’t have lied about her death,” Ilan retorted, deadpan. “Meeting her should’ve been my choice at some point.”

“She hurt us too bad,” his father continued, tears rising.

“I know. But we should always give people second chances, especially if they’re family, Dad. Life punished her enough, and I want a relationship now. She’s in a wheelchair. Did you know that? Did you know her second husband left her because of it? Karma got her. It’s time to move on,” Ilan said, and Ernest relented.

He had no idea that Mara had lived through such pain. He thought she had a luxurious life with no cares and had resented her for it all these years. The only thing he could one-up her with was their son.

But once he gave in, they both went to see her, allowing the older woman to apologize for what they did. Ernest also was sorry for lying to their kid, and they agreed to be cordial with each other so Ilan could be part of both their lives.

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Their pain and resentment of their past were too great for Ernest and Mara to think of each other as family. But Ilan loved both his parents, even if his mother had been absent for many reasons. Ilan took care of them both as Ernest recovered from his surgery, and Mara needed more help due to her age. They were not a perfect family, but they were real.

What can we learn from this story?

• It’s important to give people a second chance and let them make up for their errors. People always make mistakes; you should give them a chance to atone for it if they’re sincere.
• Lying to your kids is never a good idea. Ernest lied to Ilan about his mother’s death, and he grew up missing her all his life when she lived in the same town.

Share this story with your friends. It might brighten their day and inspire them.

If you enjoyed this story, you might like this one about police officers who broke into an abandoned house and saw a little boy crying in the corner.

This piece is inspired by stories from the everyday lives of our readers and written by a professional writer. Any resemblance to actual names or locations is purely coincidental. All images are for illustration purposes only. Share your story with us; maybe it will change someone’s life. If you would like to share your story, please send it to info@amomama.com.